Curved track with plastic liner

ABSTRACT

A track for a coiling partition or the like in which flexible tension members, such as cables or chains, are caused to negotiate curves in the track, in which the inside wall of smallest radius of the track curve is provided with a lining of low friction material such as nylon or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene to form a continuous bearing surface for the flexible member.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,729,M4 Gerkin 1451 Apr. 24, 1973 [541 CURVED TRACK WITH PLASTIC 3,129,751 4/1964 Weber ..l60/345 LINER 3,493,032 2/1970 Brown et a1. 160/201 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,465,994 12/1966 France ..l60/133 Primary Examiner-J. Karl Bell Attorney-Marcchal, Bicbel, French & Bugg 57] ABSTRACT A track for a coiling partition or the like in which flexible tension members, such as cables or chains, are caused to negotiate curves in the track, in which the inside wall of smallest radius of the track curve is provided with a lining of low friction material such as nylon or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene to form a continuous bearing surface for the flexible member.

7 Claims, 2. Drawing Figures (/Vl/E/V TOR CARL F. GERKEN WMAMJ, W $3 4 TTOR/VEYS CURVED TRACK WITH PLASTIC LINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Tracks for coiling partitions and the like are frequently formed with bends and curves. Partitions of this kind normally employ a cable, chain or some other flexible member for extending the partition or for otherwise causing partition movement. Such flexible members are under tension and, accordingly, some means is usually provided for guiding the flexible member around the curved sections of the track to minimize friction and wear.

Constructions have been used which included small guide rollers at the bends for supporting a cable. However, since the guide rollers were located within the track, spaced along the curved portion of the track, they were of small diameter in order to fit within the track recess. Examples are shown in Brown et al., US. Pat. No. 3,493,032 of 1970 and Crick US. Pat. No. 3,073,383 of 1963.

Since the rollers were of small diameter, there was a minimum angle of cable lap for each roller, and the friction driving force was small. Because of the small driving force as to each roller, a sealed bearing frequently did not rotate. When open bearings were use, these would lock up with foreign material. In either case, a stuck roller would cause grooving of the roller and excessive cable wear leading to premature cable breakage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a coiling partition and more particularly to an improved track construction for the overhead and floor tracks of coiling partitions in which a low friction liner is received within the track along'the curved sections of the track. The liners are positioned only on the inside wall of the track which has the lesser radius since this is the side on which the cable will run. The cable is thus supported for the full length of the curve, and while the tension in the cable may be high, the force of the cable against the liner at any given position is relatively low, thus preventing damage to the cable while assuring its freedom of movement.

An advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the arrangement is not adversely affected by the presence of dirt or other contaminants, and that it has an indefinitely long service life without the need of periodic attention. Also, it is totally quiet in operation.

It is accordingly an important object of the present invention to provide head and floor tracks for movable partitions or the like in which low friction liners are formed in one or the other of the inside surfaces of the track depending upon the direction of curvature, for the purpose of forming a bearing support for a flexible tension member.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a track in combination with a coiling partition in which the inside radius of the curved portions of the track are formed with a low friction plastic liner for the purpose of supporting the cable.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an enlarged vertical section through a ceiling and floor track structure for a coiling partition according to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary transverse section of a curved section of the upper track taken generally along the line 2-2 ofFIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 in phantom, a coiling partition 10 which may be of the interconnected verticalslat type as disclosed in Carlo US. Pat. Nos. 3,090,424, 3,090,425, 3,090,426 or Re. 25,422. In the Carlo patents, there are disclosed partitions which are movable in translation across a room opening and which are storable on vertical drums in coil boxes. Such partitions are commonly moved to an extended position, either by means of a hand crank or by means of a motor driven crank or drum, through a series of cables including an upper cable which is attached to the partition adjacent its forward upper edge and a lower cable which is attached to the lower forward edge.

Since the mechanism for extending and retracting the partition is commonly located within the coil box, as shown for example in Carlo US. Pat. No. Re. 25,422, the upper and lower cables are commonly formed in an open loop in that one end of the cable is attached to the partition, and is run within the upper or lower track, as the case may be, to the extreme end of the track where it is received over a return pulley and brought back either along or inside the track to the coil box drum. Thus, there is always one run of each cable received within the track itself and the return run may ,be received within the track or may be carried exteriorly of the track.

As described above, partitions of this kind are particularly adapted for use in installations where the floor and ceiling tracks are arranged along curved paths. However, a particular problem arises with respect to the supporting of the cables along the curved track sections. In the present invention, the partition 10 is shown as having its upper supporting rollers 11 received within an upper track section 12. The track section 12 is formed. with generally parallel opposed vertical side walls 13 and I4, and is mounted on a track support header 16. The header is, in turn, mounted on a series of hanger rods 18 and is adjustable vertically as known in the art.

The lower end of the partition 10 is received within a floor track, a typical such track beingillustrated generally at 20. The floor track typically includes a pair of floor guides 21 and 22 which define a slot 23 therebetween in which the lower flexible tape portion 24 of the partition is received. Such floor track 20 may also consist of a support plate 24 and a pair of spaced apart L-shaped riser plates 25 and 26, supported in turn on siding plates 27 and 28. The plates 25 and 26 define vertical spaced apart track side walls 250 and 26a.

As previously outlined, the operator mechanism includes an upper cable 30 which has a lower run 30a and an upper return run 30b. The cable 30a is conventionally attached to thelead end of the partition 10. Further, there is conventionally provided a lower cable 32 consisting of a first run 32a and a return run 32b.

Referring first to the upper cable 30, the run 300 must be received within the track 12 since it is carried back through the track as the flexible partition is retracted. However, since there is adequate space above the track 12, it is common to have the return run 30b outside of the track 12 so that there is less likelihood of interference with the trolleys 11, Therefore, there is commonly provided a return pulley bracket 35 mounted on the hanger rods 18 supporting, on a vertical shaft, a series of return pulleys 36. Further, it is common to receive both of the lower cables 32a and 321; within the lower track 20 since there are no wheels or trolleys which would interfere with the movement of these cables.

When the tracks are in straight sections, the cables 30 and 32 will ride along the bottom edges of the tracks without undue friction with the side walls. However, provision must be made for guiding at least the first runs of each of these cables around curved sections of the track and, as previously noted, roller supports for this purpose have been suggested in Brown US. Pat. No. 3,493,032.

In the present invention, the curved portions of each track at least on the inside track wall of lesser radius is provided with a liner or insert of low friction plastic material. With respect to the upper track 12, the insert which requires no lubrication. Further, while the invention described herein has been described with particular reference to a coiling partition of the Carlo type, it

is understood that the improved track ortion of the invention is not limited in use to cables ut may be used with advantage where folding or flexible partitions are moved by chains or by other suitable flexible tension members.

Further, while it is preferred that the liner 40 or 50 be made to conform to the full arcuate length of each curve of the track, it is not essential that the sections of the liner be continuous. In fact, shorter lengths can be used, and gaps can appear in the liner between adjacent liner sections without adversely changing the amount of support area for the flexible member. In fact, curved portions of tracks are commonly made up of individually curved track sections placed end-to-end. In such instances, the liner itself need only be as long as the track section, for convenience of manufacture. Further, while it is preferred to use a low-friction plastic such as nylon, PTFE or UHM polyethylene, many of the advantages of this invention may be had by the use of a general abrasion resistent liner material,

40 is shown as being received on the inside surface of the wall 14 and accordingly defines a lining pad which conforms to the curvature of the track wall and which supports the cable a throughout the full arc of the curve. The insert 40 is attached by recessed bolts 42, although it may be bonded or otherwise suitably attached to the track. The lower edge of the insert 40 forms an inwardly directed lip 44 which provides an outwardly inclined surface permitting the cable 300 to ride up under tension substantially to the position shown in FIG. 1. The insert 40 may be formed ofnylon, PTFE, but particularly good results have been achieved by using an ultra-high moelecular weight polyethylene for this purpose.

A lower track is similarly provided with plastic liner means on the inside surface of the wall 250 or 2611 of lesser radius in the curved portion of the track. The lower liner 50 is shown, in this case, as being mounted on a strap 52, the latter being secured by bolts 53 to the inside surface of the side wall 26a. Again, as in case of the insert 40, the lower liner 50 preferably extends continuously throughout the arc of the curvature of the track and provides a low friction support for the lower cable 32. in this case, both runs 32a and 32b of the lower cable are supported by the liner 50.

With curved sections of the track which turn in the opposite direction, corresponding inserts and liners are provided respectively on the inside surfaces of the track walls 13 and 25a. While the full length of the track may thus be lined, it is only necessary to provide appropriate liners for the support of the cables at the curved sections ofthe track.

The resulting arrangement is one which protects the cables 30 and 32 against fraying and wear and also protects the track sections against grooving. The resulting arrangement is one which is quiet in operation and such as urethane or urethane-impregnated cloth, for example.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved curved track for a moving or coiling partition or the like in which a flexible tension member, such as a cable or a chain, runs in such track adjacent a wall thereof, comprising an elongated solid insert of low-friction wear-resistent plastic material positioned on the inside surface of the track wall of lesser radius forming an elongated essentially continuous low friction bearing liner for contacting and supporting such flexible member along the length of the curve.

2. The track of claim 1 in which said insert comprises ultra-high molecular weight of polyethylene.

3. The track of claim 1 in which said insert comprises nylon.

4. The track of claim 1 in which said insert is PTFE.

5. In combination with a flexible and coilable partition in which cables run in curved floor and ceiling tracks for extending the partition, comprising means in each said floor and ceiling track defining generally vertical spaced apart track side walls, and an essentially solid layer of low friction plastic material on the inside surface of at least the inside track wall of lesser radius in each region ofa curved in each said floor and ceiling tracks forming essentially continuous bearing surfaces for supporting the associated said cables along said curves.

6. The combination of claim 5 in which said layer comprises ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.

7. The combination of claim 5 in which said layer comprises nylon.

mg UNITED STATES PATIENT UWECE @ERTIFICATE 6F QQECTWN 3,729 ,044 April 24, 1973 Patent No. Dated 'Inventor(s) Carl F, Gerken It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

On the title page, Item [75] the inventor's name should be Carl F Gerken;

Col. 1, line 28, change "use to e-used-"q (Fol... 4, line 43, delete "of";

Col. 4, line 54, change "curved" to -+'+curve;

Signed and sealed this 19th day of February 19714..

(SEAL) Attest:

c. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents EDWARD M.FLEITCHER,JR. Atte sting Officer 

2. The track of claim 1 in which said insert comprises ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.
 3. The track of claim 1 in which said insert comprises nylon.
 4. The track of claim 1 in which said insert is PTFE.
 5. In combination with a flexible and coilable partition in which cables run in curved floor and ceiling tracks for extending the partition, comprising means in each said floor and ceiling track defining generally vertical spaced apart track side walls, and an essentially solid layer of low friction plastic material on the inside surface of at least the inside track wall of lesser radius in each region of a curve in each said floor and ceiling tracks forming essentially continuous bearing surfaces for supporting the associated said cables along said curves.
 6. The combination of claim 5 in which said layer comprises ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene.
 7. The combination of claim 5 in which said layer comprises nylon. 